Posts tagged with "AN Events":

Designjunction a London-based showcase for cutting-edge design labels (including Decode, Muuto, Modus, and Another Country) and young and emerging designers will stage its first U.S. show on May 15th. The fair will take place at Art Beam (540 West 21st Street) and The Architect’s Newspaper will be there.
William Menking, AN's editor-in-chief, will interview SO-IL partner Jing Liu about the young Brooklyn firm's growing portfolio of projects here and abroad. The breakfast-time conversation will begin at 9:00a.m. on May 15 at Art Beam and guests may RSVP at designjunction.

AN is participating in some great events during the upcoming NYCxDesign—the city's annual celebration of all things design. If you live in New York, or are in town from May 8–19, here are some key happenings to keep on your radar.
In addition, at all these events and shows you'll get the chance to pick up a copy of AN's first special residential interiors issue, which is packed with information on other design happenings around town, highlights from the local art scene, stories on the latest trends in the field, and pages and pages of gorgeous homes. Hope to see you around town!
BKLYN Designs
Come see the upstarts in Brooklyn and visit the AN/AIANY New Practices Lounge. AN's Editor-in-Chief William Menking is conducting a panel with the new faces of Brooklyn architecture.
Sunday, May 10th, 3pm-4pm
Brooklyn Expo Center
72 Noble St, Brooklyn
Frieze Art Fair
Make your way to Randall's Island for one of the world's top contemporary art festivals.
May 14-17
Randall's Island Park
Duravit + The Architect's Newspaper
Join AN at one of New York's best bathroom showrooms for a special event celebrating new collections from Philippe Starck and Christian Werner.
Friday, May 15, 6-8pm
Duravit NYC
105 Madison Avenue
RSVP Heredesignjunction edit New York
Check out an excellently curated display of interior design elements from leading global brands.
May 15-18
ArtBeam
540 W 21st Street
WantedDesign
Visit Wanted's original platform for promoting design and see AN's Editor-in-Chief William Menking is moderating "Bright Architecture," a conversation on lighting, innovation, & architecture.
May 16, 5:45-6:45pm.
Terminal Stores
269 11th Avenue
ICFF
Now on its 27th year, this is the United States' biggest contemporary design showcase. Come say hi to AN staffers at booth #1870.
May 16-19
Javits Center
655 West 34th Street

The first-ever Los Angeles Facades + conference, organized by The Architect’s Newspaper and Enclos, held in the shadow of Bunker Hill’s glassy towers, showcased the city’s technical and creative talent while introducing participants to the building envelope field’s latest technologies and trends.
Keynote speaker James Carpenter set a sophisticated tone, showing off richly complex work that explores both the “cinematic” and “volumetric qualities of light.” His World Trade Center 7 base, he pointed out, uses a subtle shift in plane to create an ethereal glow, while another project for Gucci in Tokyo uses prismatic light to recreate the qualities of a Japanese lantern. Other highlights included his louvered Israel Museum and his new exploration of optical aluminum, thin glasses, and computer etched glass.
This look toward the future continued in the next panel, discussing “Net Zero and the Future Facade.” Panelist Russell Fortmeyer, from Arup, pointed out that by 2030 every building in California will have to be Net Zero, putting pressure on upcoming research. One way to achieve this, said fellow panelist Stephane Hoffman, of Morrison Hershfield, is through better use of computer performance models. Facades will also need to have the ability to change over time, noted Alex Korter of CO Architects.
This ability to change was discussed in detail by the next presenter, Ilaria Mazzoleni, whose talk on “Biomimetic Principles for Innovative Design” stressed natural systems’ ability to be both beautiful and extremely functional. Learning from natural skins, and their regulation of heat, humidity, and communication will help facade manufacturers reap dividends. One example: natural phase change materials, which are already using natural elements to store heat and cold inside building envelopes.
The Preservation and Performance Panel, while focused on historical structures, did not look backwards. Instead panelists discussed updating Modernist facades for present day conditions (including sustainability), while maintaining historic integrity. Historic properties like Minoru Yamasaki’s Century Plaza and William Pereira’s Metropolitan Water District building are being updated using sustainable materials and systems that bring the buildings into the 21st century.
Afternoon keynote speaker Larry Scarpa, of Brooks + Scarpa, acknowledged the need for high tech consultants, but stressed his role in combining simplicity and beauty. His firm has employed unusual, basic materials like crushed soda cans, wood shipping crates, and metal mesh to create fascinating patterns of surface subtlety and diffuse light.
On the other end of the spectrum, an excellent example of the future façade—Cornell’s Architecture hall by Morphosis— was discussed in the symposium’s technical panel. And an architect at Morphosis, Kerenza Harris, noted how on that project, and on their Emerson College in Los Angeles, computer technology allows them to keep every panel, every module, in exactly the right place. That means thousands of components; a feat of fabrication and organization that would never be possible without current technologies. Fellow panelist Bill Kreysler espoused the benefits of composite facades, which he said will one day revolutionize construction, without the burdens of studs, metal frames, or other commonplace fabrication components.
The look toward revolutionary technology reached its pinnacle with fabricator Andreas Froech’s panel on “Site Deployed Collaborative Bots.” Some day, he argued, programmable machinery and automated tooling, along with composite materials, will replace laborers and traditional materials. He pointed to the building of automobiles, which is already largely automated.
In order to move into this automated future, pointed out Walter P. Moore’s Sanjeev Tankha, in his discussion of engineering risk, data flow needs to become more seamless between programs like Rhino, Revit, and ultimately into live models. With all these systems of software, hardware, and knowledge in perfect position, and with standards like Net Zero enforced by local officials, the future of the façade looks to be exciting, and remarkably different. Some day, as Gerding Edlen’s Jill Sherman pointed out, Net Zero sustainably and effective performance modeling will be standard, not out of the ordinary. And futuristic facades will not be what participant Alvin Huang of Synthesis called “techno-fetish,” but smart and obligatory.

When it comes to responding to climate change, said Stacey Hooper, senior associate at NBBJ, architects have tended to be more reactive than proactive. "Our industry is so insular," she explained. "As a profession, we're really interested in the coolest, newest thing—not necessarily how we're going to support these bigger global challenges." Hooper had this in mind when she sat down with co-chair Luke Smith (Enclos) and the rest of the planning team to lay out the inaugural Facades+ LA conference, taking place in February in downtown Los Angeles. "We were talking about, 'Who are the influencers?'—not just in the building industry," recalled Hooper. "Where will real influence come from?"
Hooper, who has practiced in California for more than a decade, includes government regulations high on the list of changemakers. "The state has been pecking away at energy consumption standards for 40 years," she noted. At the local level, Los Angeles has struggled to push through energy measures, water standards in particular. A representative from city government will deliver an introductory address on day 1 of Facades+ LA. "It seemed like a good introduction to a conference here to bring in a government body to talk about the necessity [of energy standards]," said Hooper.
The tech industry has also made an impact, especially in California. "At NBBJ we see the influence of things like Silicon Valley; industry-driven change," said Hooper. "There's a need for high-tech workers, and they're being very demanding about what their environment is. That's a good thing because that demand drives change." Then there are the individual examples. Hooper mentions the Historic Green Village on Anna Maria Island in Florida, which achieved LEED Platinum and Net Zero Energy for its first 18 months of operation. "You have these smaller influencers that build into something big," she observed. "These are all great role models for the profession.
The client is another piece of the environmental puzzle. Hooper recalls working on ZGF's Conrad N. Hilton Foundation building in Agoura Hills, California, designed to exceed LEED Platinum Certification. When the mechanical engineer told the team that direct sunlight could harm the building's passive mechanical system, the architects followed up with a series of digital studies before importing an exterior system from Germany. "That's my benchmark I'm thinking about now," said Hooper. "When I get asked, 'Where's curtain wall going?' I say, "'It's not doing enough; let's start thinking about things in a different way.'"
Thinking about things in a different way is where the architect comes into the picture, said Hooper. "It's a great privilege and a real challenge," she explained. "You need to be able to leverage design thinking to really serve the environment, and serve humans at an individual scale. That's what I love about working on envelopes: it starts at this big citywide level, then it manifests in these finite details in our built environment."
To learn more about Facades+ LA or to register, visit the conference website.

What is New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's position on design and public space? Does he care about design or think it is simply a prerogative of the city’s middle class populations? It is one the conundrums of the current administration that it wants to create 200,000 units of affordable housing but does not seem to care about the architecture of the buildings or or how they might affect their surrounding neighborhoods. There is much that is laudable in the mayor's push for new affordable housing, but will all this new construction be a step back from the progressive attitude of the Bloomberg administration concerning the physical and spatial aspects of the city?
These issues—and others of great concern to the city's design community—will be the topic of discussion tonight at the AIANY's Center for Architecture on LaGuardia Place in a panel discussion called "A Changing Landscape: Public Space and the New Administration."
The principal presenters are all architects and landscape designers closely involved in current city projects and proposals for the future:
—Susannah Drake of dlandstudio.
—Gonzalo V. Cruz of AECOM Landscape Architecture Studio.
—Adam Yarinsky of Architecture Research Office.
They all have their own positions and thoughts on city government, public policy, and urban design so the roundtable will be a highly entertaining event. I will be moderating the panel and keeping it lively and on point.
It starts at 6:00p.m. (More info here.) See you tonight!

Contemporary architectural practice, and in particular the design of high-performance facades, is as much about mastering technology as it is about grappling with aesthetics and function. Attendees at next month’s facades+ Chicago conference will have an opportunity to explore cutting-edge digital design tools during a series of hands-on technology workshops. The tech workshops, which take place on the second day of the conference, follow a day-long symposium featuring keynotes and roundtable discussions by AEC industry leaders. “If on day 1 you’re being exposed to advancements in building methods, on day 2 you can learn the technology and techniques that are behind those applications,” said Mode Lab’s Ronnie Parsons. “It’s taking the next step from someone who’s in the audience to being a participant. Not just a participant who’s watching and engaged, but one who is actively involved in shaping what happens tomorrow.”Tech workshop topics include “Enhanced Parametric Design with Dynamo for Vasari,” “Advanced Facade Panelization and Optimization Techniques,” “Collaborative Design and Analysis with Grasshopper,” and Environmental Analysis and Facade Optimization Strategies.”
“The technology being presented is at the edge of the industry,” said Parsons. “The people who are teaching them are at the edge. They’re writing the software and creating add-ons to the software.” At the same time, Parsons said, he and co-curator Gil Akos select workshop instructors on the basis of teaching ability as well as expertise. “We look for instructors who are leaders, but who also have the ability to engage, and to take participants on a ride for the day.”
Parsons emphasized the close relationship between the conference symposium and the workshops. “Someone can come to the symposium and have a full and engaging experience, then continue that experience on day 2,” he said. “It’s not that these are separate, unrelated events. They are completely imbricated, completely reciprocal. It’s a holistic experience: there are two days with two different formats, but they’re meant to be one package.”
For more information and to register for tech workshops, visit the facades+ Chicago website.

Earlier this afternoon, The Architect's Newspaper gained our 500,000th Facebook friend, a major milestone in our growth. For an independently owned publication that started as a local print tabloid, the expansion of our readership in print, online, and through social media in the United States and around the world has been thrilling to watch. We're so grateful for your support. But more importantly, we are happy to be a part of increasing the public's awareness of architecture, design, planning, urbanism, and landscape architecture. That's what keeps us working so hard every day. For those of you who can't get enough AN, consider following and sharing us on social media: Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Thanks again for your interest and support!

Allan Wexler: Breaking GroundRonald Feldman Fine Arts
31 Mercer Street, New York
Through May 3, 2014
The current Allan Wexler exhibit, Breaking Ground, at Ronald Feldman Fine Arts proves again how important is the work of architects who confine their production to the gallery. In the new exhibit, Wexler explores mankind's first interventions into landscape with a series of photo-based images and sculpture. Wexler first builds models of his imagined landscapes out of plaster and museum board before photographing them and digitally manipulating and printing them. The Architect's Newspaper will celebrate Wexler's extraordinary forty five year career with a special reception at the Feldman gallery Tuesday, April, 29th from 6:00–8:00p.m.
Wexler will be present to discuss his work and read a selection from his current preoccupation of business cards "Allan Wexler, What kind of work do you do?" With a Tuesday Storefront for Art and Architecture opening Letters To The Mayor (7:00-9:00) and the ongoing exhibits Lebbeus Woods at the Drawing Center (35 Wooster Street ) and Heidi Bucher at the Swiss Institute (18 Wooster Street) would be easy to swing by these major architecture events and then end up at The Feldman gallery at 31 Mercer Street.

Joshua Prince-Ramus, principal at REX, has a bone to pick with modernism and its legacy. “For the last 100 years, architecture’s been involved in a silly tension between form and function,” he said. While high modernism privileged function over form, some of today’s top designers argue that architecture is about aesthetics and not much else. REX has a different take: architecture, the firm claims, is both function and form. “We really believe that architecture can do things. It’s not just a representational art form,” said Prince-Ramus. “We talk about performance. Aesthetics are part of performance [as is function.]”
Prince-Ramus, who will deliver the afternoon keynote address at next week’s facades+PERFORMANCE New York conference, approaches facade design as an integral part of the design process as a whole. That process, in turn, revolves around a concept he calls agenda. “We set out in our projects to figure out what the project’s agenda should be, then we set out to delimit the constraints,” he said. “Then we try to find the embodiment of the agenda that will fit seamlessly within those constraints.” REX’s current projects include a pair of headquarters buildings for sister media companies in the Middle East. The stone-clad towers are covered in retractable sunshades that reference a traditional Arab Mashrabiya pattern.
As an example of how constraints can influence facade design, Prince-Ramus cited the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in Dallas. REX (with OMA) slashed the project’s envelope budget in order to build a theater that changes shape to suit different arts events. The money they were left with, said Prince-Ramus, was about what standard aluminum siding would cost—so they started there. “We made a dummy design where we spent a lot of effort trying to not design something aesthetically, but that we’d put it out to the market and uncover what in the market drove costs,” he said. In Dallas that turned out to be weight, since frequent hail storms require thick siding. REX/OMA developed a facade system of extruded tubes that would protect against hailstones while minimizing the amount of aluminum required. “We made something that was very beautiful and very unique,” said Prince-Ramus. “Certainly if we’d come back to the client with flat aluminum siding they would have said, ‘Put the money back into the facade.'...The success of the facade is why we were able to build a building that’s renowned for its ability to transform.”
While the Wyly Theatre facade was shaped by financial constraints, the client’s particular vision informed the envelope for the Mercedes Benz Future Center in Stuttgart. “Part of the collective agenda was that the building should be very transparent, as opposed to museums, which tend to be very cloistered,” said Prince-Ramus. But the automaker also wanted the Future Center, which will display its vision for the future of automobile technology, to be “a beacon for sustainability.” REX’s current solution (which may change as the design develops) is to create a curtain-like sunshade that wraps around the all-glass building. The shade is opaque on one side of the building and nearly transparent on the other, and rotates with the sun’s movements. The curtain is a metaphor for the unknowability of the future: Prince-Ramus recalled the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics, which says that it is impossible to simultaneously determine the value of certain variables. “The more you know of one, the less you know of others,” he said. “In discussions about the future, that idea seemed really inherent in what they’re doing [at Mercedes Benz].”
Whatever the origin of a particular facade design, for Prince-Ramus it always comes back to performance, the standard that for him encapsulates both function and aesthetics. “The more we’ve used the word performance, the more I’m convinced it does have that dual meaning,” he said. “When [they] talk about a high-performance auto, they don’t just mean it goes from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds. They mean it’s sexy, too.”
To hear Joshua Prince-Ramus speak next week, visit the facades+PERFORMANCE New York conference website.

So much of design work today is solitary. It involves sitting in front of a computer—crunching data, building renderings, and running evaluations on digital models. But that’s not the full picture. AEC professionals rely on personal connections to identify projects, connect with clients, and learn new skills. Whether a business meeting or a chat over cocktails, face-to-face interactions still matter.
The upcoming facades+PERFORMANCE New York conference offers plenty of opportunities for informal networking in addition to scheduled presentations and workshops. Attendees will have a chance to connect one-on-one with fellow designers, including many of the movers and shakers in the world of facade design and fabrication, during multiple networking breaks. Day one features both morning and afternoon networking breaks sponsored by W&W Glass and a complimentary lunch sponsored by KEPCO+. The day concludes with a cocktail reception sponsored by Autodesk. Symposium keynote speakers and presenters—including Gordon Gill (Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill), Joshua Prince-Ramus (REX), Doris Sung (dO/Su Studio), James O’Callaghan (Eckersley O’Callaghan), Ana Bertuna (Related), and William Logan (Israel Berger & Associates)—will be on hand throughout.
Day 2 similarly allows for morning and afternoon networking and refreshment breaks and an hour-long complimentary networking lunch. Participants in the day-long tech and dialog workshops can use these breaks to connect with other workshop attendees, get to know their instructors, and visit with colleagues enrolled in different programs.
To register for facades+PERFORMANCE New York, visit the conference website. A full schedule, including networking breaks, is available here.

As most AEC professionals know, technology can be either a help or a hindrance when it comes to the design of high-performance building envelopes. Software programs like Grasshopper and Autodesk Vasari offer powerful tools for generating, modeling, and analyzing facades. But there’s a catch. Without a firm grasp of the programs’ capabilities, users can lose data, overlook important features, or otherwise negate the advantages inherent to digital design.
Attendees at this month’s facades+PERFORMANCE New York conference will have access to hands-on instruction in a variety of digital design environments through a series of all-day tech workshops. In “Enhanced Parametric Design with Dynamo,” led by Gil Akos of Mode Lab, participants will learn the basics of parametric design within Vasari using Dynamo. Dynamo extends Vasari with additional generative and performance-driven design capabilities, and automates many design tasks. Workshop attendees will see how to use Dynamo throughout the design process, and will also get a sneak peak of work-in-progress versions of the software.
“Environmental Analysis and Facade Optimization Strategies,” with Matt Jezyk, Ian Keough, and David Scheer of Autodesk, will also explore the application of Dynamo to facade design. Participants will practice using Dynamo to evaluate solar radiation on the exterior of a building and set up a recursive optimization strategy. Keough, who created Dynamo while working as a consulting engineer, will discuss the program’s unique parametric feature set. Workshop attendees will have a chance to use a soon-to-be-released milestone update to the software.
Daniel Davis and Tim Dumatrait of CASE will lead “Parametric Dashboards.” This workshop will tackle the problem of data loss between design iterations, and outline strategies for capturing analysis data and using it to create visualizations and evaluate outcomes. Participants will use Grasshopper to analyze facade design options, then will export their data into external software and develop dashboards to graph and chart the outcomes.
The fourth tech workshop, “Advanced Facade Panelization and Optimization Techniques” with Thornton Thomasetti’s Matthew Naugle, is already sold out. Participants will learn the basics of facade panelization and optimization using Grasshopper. The workshop will also explore three Grasshopper plugins: Galapagos, for facade optimization, Kangaroo, for advanced panelization techniques, and TT Toolbox, which allows users to track design iterations in Excel.
To register for a tech workshop, see the event page. There you can also view pre-requisites and recommended software downloads.